Every body has
its issues. Learning to adapt to those
issues helps us not only stay fit, but become more fit.
Take, for
example, knee problems. Once physical
therapy is completed and a doctor says it is all right, a person with knee
issues can return to working out.
However, he or she might want to keep some things in mind.
• If it hurts, don’t do it.
Yes, this is obvious, but also often ignored. Seriously.
DON’T DO IT. I’m not talking
about the mild discomfort that comes from working out after a long layoff. We all know the difference between pain that
comes from working out the kinks and the kind that means we are doing
damage. Damage is bad. Don’t go there.
• Warm up.
The warm-up does not have to be a separate section of the workout,
unless a person prefers to do it that way by doing some cardio before starting
to lift weights. (Stretching is best
done when the body is at least slightly warm, not first thing.) Doing the first few sets with lighter weights
or gentler range of motion can allow the body to warm up while doing the
workout.
• Range of motion is important.
This is one of those places to use good judgment. Joints that don’t move become stiffer over
time. We need to push, gently, at the
edges of our range of motion to ensure that we maintain or increase what we
have. Also, many joints are synovial,
which means that they get nutrients not from the blood supply, but from the
very act of moving. Feed the joints! Bend, bend, bend!
• Pay attention to form and alignment. A
lot of injuries begin with bad form.
Paying attention to proper alignment trains the body in good patterns
that strengthen key muscles and promote pain-free movement.
• Joints do not get stronger; muscles do.
People who want injury-resistant knees need to work the quads,
hamstrings, adductors, and abductors (although most people should prioritize
the last three of those, since we tend to work the quads all the time).
• Don’t forget self-care.
Massage, hot tub, ice, ibuprofen, whatever it takes to make you feel
better at the end.
